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Kudos to CTC for the awesome showing at Granite Bay on Sunday. Sixteen club members represented CTC at the California Sprint Distance TRI Club Championship on the super tough course at Granite Bay. In only our second year of existence, we competed hard and finished just a single point shy of the championship, losing out to the Delta Tri Club from Stockton. We finished ahead of clubs from Sacramento, Davis, and Reno, and received many words of thanks, congratulations, and encouragement from the race organizers. Thanks to Shawn for bringing the Ez-Up, banners, and beverages, and thanks especially to Ken and Gloria for hosting many club members before and after the race. Thanks also to those who came to cheer us on, including Susan, Stefanie, Ryan, and Paul. Full results are posted here and CTC Member results have been posted here; please let me know of any corrections or additions.
For many members, Granite Bay was the last race of the season, but several CTCers are planning to race the Golden State Triathlon on October 9th. More details to come.
Greg Watkins
President, Chico Triathlon Club
This week’s update is all about the final club race of the season, the Granite Bay Triathlon which takes place this Sunday, September 25th. Granite Bay hosts the California Sprint Distance TRI Club Championship and has been called California's Toughest Sprint Triathlon. Numerous CTC members have been targeting Granite Bay all season and the club will be well represented with many members competing.
The organizers actually award two club prizes, the Overall Team and the Fastest Team. The awards are based on points rather than time. A single point is awarded for each club finisher, so anyone can race and help the team regardless of whether you expect to win your age group or just hope to finish. Bonus points are awarded for age group placings with five for 1st, four for 2nd, three for 3rd, etc. The bonus points are in addition to the single point for finishing. The club with the most points is the Overall Tri Club Champion and will receive $500, a Huge TRI Club Trophy, and reserved bike racks all year at TBF Racing triathlons. The team with the highest cumulative point total for their five men and women athletes will be the Fastest Team and receive 10 free entries to the 2011 Golden State Triathlon on October 9th. So whether you’re looking for a high placing, or just want to finish, consider racing this weekend. Early registration is only $70 and is $80 on race day. The triathlon starts at 9:00 AM and is an easy sub-two hour drive from Chico.
Several club members raced last year and can attest to the course’s challenging nature for a sprint triathlon. Once you finish the .75 mile swim, the 13 mile bike course awaits with numerous twists, turns, and short, punchy hills. Bike handling is at a premium, and some veterans opt for a road bike rather than a time trial setup. The course also gets crowded, as it has a lot of out/back sections and also is completed in two 6.5 mile loops (a map and elevation profile can be found on the race website). The run is mostly off-road and rolling, but at five miles is long for a sprint. In addition, racers are greeted with a “wall” late in the run, a super-steep section that really hurts that late in the race. But finishers are rewarded with hot food, free massages, and the company of your fellow CTC Members.
We are officially registered as a club and hopefully, you listed Chico Tri Club on your application (please let me know if you didn’t). I still need to give a final list of members to the race organizers so they can reserve sufficient rack space for us. So if you’re racing, please reply and let me know who’s coming. David, Tammie, and I will be there.